Chew Valley
Chew Valley shown within Somerset
Area	182 sq mi (475 km²)
Population	approximately 5,000 (2001)
OS grid reference	ST571600
District	Mendip
Unitary authority	Bath and North East Somerset
	North Somerset
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS40
Postcode district	BA3
Dialling code	01275
	01761
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	North Somerset
	North East Somerset (both from next general election)
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°20′15″N 2°36′55″W / 51.337421, -2.615197

The Chew Valley is an area in North Somerset, England, named after the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon at Keynsham. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Mendip is also a shortened name for The Mendip Hills, from which this district takes its name The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is a Unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 North Somerset is a Unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Bristol postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Axbridge, Banwell, Bristol, Cheddar, Clevedon The, also known as the Bath postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Bath, Bradford on Avon, Bruton, Castle Cary, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Avon Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory FRS or Fire and Rescue Service covering the area of what used to be the County of Avon (1974-1996 The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS is UK National Health Service (NHS trust providing emergency and non emergency South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election North Somerset will be a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Boundaries The constituency covers the part of Bath and North East Somerset that is not in the Bath constituency. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns Villages and hamlets in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. Chewton Mendip is a village and Civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower Keynsham (ˈkeɪnʃm is a Town between Bristol and Bath in south-west England. Technically, the area of the valley is bounded by the water catchment area of the Chew and its tributaries; however, the name Chew Valley is often used less formally to cover other nearby areas, for example, Blagdon Lake and its environs, which by a stricter definition are part of the Yeo Valley. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Blagdon Lake lies in the Chew Valley at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, approximately 10 mi (16 km south of Bristol. For other rivers called Yeo see River Yeo The River Yeo (often referred to as the Congresbury Yeo, after the village of Congresbury The valley is an area of rich arable and dairy farmland, interspersed with a number of villages. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an Animal husbandry enterprise for long-term production of Milk, which may be either processed on-site or A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City.

The landscape consists of the valley of the River Chew and is generally low-lying and undulating. It is bounded by higher ground ranging from Dundry Down to the north, the Lulsgate Plateau to the west, the Mendip Hills to the south and the Hinton Blewett, Marksbury and Newton Saint Loe plateau areas to the east. Dundry Down is a large hill at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, just south of Bristol, England. Lulsgate Plateau is the name given to the Carboniferous limestone hills which form a northern outlier of the Mendips, southwest of Bristol. The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of Limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset Hinton Blewett ( is situated 5 miles north of Wells, 15 miles south of Bristol on the Northern slope of the Mendip Hills within the designated Marksbury ( is a small village in Somerset about 4 miles from Keynsham and 7 from Bath on the A39 where it meets the A368. Newton Saint Loe ( is a small Somerset village located between Bath & Bristol in the South West of England. The valley's boundary generally follows the top of scarp slopes except at the southwestern and southeastern boundaries where flat upper areas of the Chew Valley grade gently into the Yeo Valley and eastern Mendip Hills respectively. In Geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp steep Elevation differential characterized The River Chew was dammed in the 1950s to create Chew Valley Lake, which provides drinking water for the nearby city of Bristol and surrounding areas. Location Chew Valley Lake in the Chew Valley at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, surrounded by meadows and woods and close to the villages of Chew Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The lake is a prominent landscape feature of the valley, a focus for recreation, and is internationally recognised for its nature conservation interest, because of the bird species, plants and insects. Conservation can be confused with Conversation and vice versa

The area falls into the domains of several councils including: Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and Mendip. Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is a Unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 North Somerset is a Unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered Mendip is also a shortened name for The Mendip Hills, from which this district takes its name Some of the area falls within the Mendip Hills AONB. The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of Limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is an area of countryside with significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland Most of the undeveloped area is within the Bristol/Bath Green Belt. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. A green belt or greenbelt is a policy or land use designation used in Land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped wild or agricultural land Many of the villages date back to the time of the Domesday Book and there is evidence of human occupation since the Stone Age. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking There are hundreds of listed buildings with many of the churches being Grade I listed. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance

The main village is Chew Magna but the largest are Pensford, Clutton, Bishop Sutton, High Littleton and Temple Cloud

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Government and politics 3 History 3.1 Geology 3.2 Natural history 3.2.1 Flora 3.2.2 Fauna 3.3 Human habitation 3.3.1 Field patterns 4 Climate 5 Population and demographics 6 Buildings and settlements 6.1 Listed buildings 7 Transport 8 Schools 9 Sport and leisure facilities 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External links

Etymology

There is no clear origin for the name "Chew", found scarcely anywhere else; however, there have been several explanations of the etymology, including "winding water"^[1], the 'ew' being a variant of the French eau, meaning water. Chew Magna ( is a village within the Chew Valley in North East Somerset, England Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Bishop Sutton ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. High Littleton and its hamlets Hallatrow and Amesbury are located in the county of Somerset and straddle both the A39 and A37 Temple Cloud ( is a village within the Chew Valley in Somerset in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area on the A37 road. This article is about the village For information on the prehistoric stone circles see Stanton Drew stone circles Stanton Drew ( is a small Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time The word chewer is a western dialect for a narrow passage, and chare is Old English for turning. Many believe that the name Chew began in Normandy as Cheux, and came to England with the Norman Conquest during the eleventh century. ^[2] However, some people agree with Ekwall's interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh cyw meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that afon Cyw would have been "the river of the chickens". ^[3] Other possible explanations suggest it comes from the Old English word ceo, `fish gill', used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse gil, or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English chowe `chough', Old English ceo, a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw, notorious for its chattering and thieving. ^[4]

Government and politics

Many of the villages in the valley have their own parish councils which have some responsibility for local issues. A Parish council is a unit of Local government in Great Britain. They also elect councillors to district councils e. g. Mendip and Somerset County Council or unitary authorities e. Mendip is also a shortened name for The Mendip Hills, from which this district takes its name Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county g. Bath and North East Somerset or North Somerset, which have wider responsibilities for services such as education, refuse, tourism etc. North Somerset is a Unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered

Each of the villages is also part of a constituency, either Wansdyke (which will become North East Somerset) or Woodspring (which is to become North Somerset). Wansdyke is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Boundaries The constituency covers the part of Bath and North East Somerset that is not in the Bath constituency. Woodspring is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. North Somerset will be a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The area is also of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament. South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides police services to the area. Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and

History

Geology

The western end of the area of the area (around Nempnett Thrubwell) consists of the Harptree Beds which incorporate silicified clay, shale and Lias Limestone. Nempnett Thrubwell ( is a small village in dairying country on the western edge of Bath and North East Somerset, in the county of Somerset, England Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by For general context see Jurassic. The Early Jurassic (in geology referred to as the Lower Jurassic, originally (and still in Europe the Clifton Down Limestone, which includes Calcite and Dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Triassic period. The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago There are two main soil types, both generally well-drained. ^[5] The mudstones around the lakes give rise to fertile silty clay soils that are a dull dusky red colour because of their high iron content. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 The clay content means that where unimproved they easily become waterlogged when wet, and hard with cracks and fissures during dry periods. ^[6] The main geological outcrops around the lake are Mudstone, largely consisting of red Siltstone resulting in the underlying characteristic of the gently rolling valley landscape. Mudstone (also called mudrock) is a fine grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clays or Muds Grain size is up Siltstone is a Sedimentary rock which has a composition intermediate in grain size between the coarser Sandstones and the finer Mudstones and There are also bands of Sandstone of the Triassic period, that contribute to the undulating character of the area. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago There are also more recent alluvial deposits beside the course of the River Chew. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. ^[7] The transition between the gently sloping landscape of the Upper Chew and Yeo Valleys and the open landscape of the Mendip Hills plateau is a scarp slope of 75 to 235 metres (250–770 ft). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The predominant formation is Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Triassic period. It formed as a result of desert erosion and weathering of the scarp slopes. It takes the form of rock fragments mainly derived from older Carboniferous Limestone cemented together by lime and sand which hardened to sometimes give the appearance of concrete. ^[8] The northern boundary is formed by the sides of the Dundry Plateau where the most significant geological formation is the Inferior Oolite of the Jurassic period found on the higher ground around Maes Knoll. Dundry is a Village and Civil parish, situated on Dundry Hill in the northern part of the Mendip Hills, between Bristol The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning Maes Knoll (sometimes Maes Tump) is an Iron Age Hillfort located south of the English city of Bristol, near the village of This overlays the Lower Lias Clay found on the adjoining slopes. The clays make a poor foundation and landslips are characteristic on the slopes. This area was once connected to the Cotswolds. The intervening land has subsequently been eroded leaving this outlier with many of the characteristics of the Cotswold Plateau. ^[9] The unusual geological features have been recognised with several sites including; Barns Batch Spinney, Hartcliff Rocks Quarry and Dundry Main Road South Quarry being recognised as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their geological interest. Barns Batch Spinney ( is a 006 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Dundry, North Somerset, notified Hartcliff Rocks Quarry ( is a 16 hectare (39 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI near Felton Somerset notified in 1991 The site provides Dundry Main Road South Quarry ( is a 07 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of East Dundry, North Somerset A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom.

The oldest geological formation in the valley is the Supra- Pennant Measures of the Carboniferous period. It is a significant feature towards the north-eastern part of the area and is represented by the Pensford Syncline coal basin, which formed part of the Somerset coalfield. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. The Somerset coalfield included pits in the north Somerset, England, area where Coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973 It is a complex formation containing coal seams and is made up of clay and shales. The landscape is typically undulating and includes outcrops of sandstone. Most of the area around Stanton Drew have neutral to acid red loamy soils with slowly permeable subsoils. This article is about the village For information on the prehistoric stone circles see Stanton Drew stone circles Stanton Drew ( is a small Soils to the eastern part of the area are slowly permeable clayey and fine silty soils. They are found on Carboniferous clay and shales typical of the Supra-Pennant Measures. They are frequently waterlogged where the topography dictates. They tend towards being acid and are brown to grey brown in colour. ^[7] In the south and south east of the area there are coal measures which are sufficiently near the surface for coal mining to have taken place around Clutton and High Littleton. High Littleton and its hamlets Hallatrow and Amesbury are located in the county of Somerset and straddle both the A39 and A37 ^[10] In the eastern area of the valley as the River Chew flows through Publow, Woollard and Compton Dando before joining the River Avon at Keynsham there are alluvial deposits of clay soils. The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. Publow is a small village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Woollard is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley, Somerset The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower

Natural history

The valley has several areas designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for biological interest including; Blagdon Lake, Burledge Hill, Chew Valley Lake, Compton Martin Ochre Mine, Harptree Combe and two sites at Folly Farm. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Blagdon Lake lies in the Chew Valley at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, approximately 10 mi (16 km south of Bristol. Burledge Hill ( is on the southern edge of the village of Bishop Sutton, Somerset. Compton Martin Ochre Mine ( is a 085 Hectare Geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Compton Martin, Somerset Harptree Combe ( is a 13071 hectare (3229 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI near East Harptree notified in 1954 Folly Farm ( is a traditionally managed visitable Farm and Nature reserve run by the Avon Wildlife Trust.

Flora

The small and medium-sized fields of the valley are generally bounded by hedges and occasionally by tree belts and woodland, some of which date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late medieval period. Enclosure or inclosure (the latter is used in Legal documents and Place names is the term used in England and Wales Hedgerows support the nationally rare bithynian vetch (Vicia bithynica). Vicia ( Vetches) is a large genus of about 140 species of Flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Mature oak (Quercus) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees are characteristic of the area with occasional groups of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Chestnuts (Castanea sativa). The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families; most commonly in a combined form (e The Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris L family Pinaceae) is a species of Pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Chestnut ( Castanea) (including some chinkapin or Chinquapin) is a Genus of eight or nine Species of Deciduous Many elm (Ulmus) trees have been lost in this area, and dead/dying elms are also evident in the surrounding landscape. Elms are Deciduous and Semi-deciduous Trees comprising the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae, found ^[7]

Fauna

Wildlife abounds in the valley, particularly the water birds around the rivers and lakes, with Chew Valley Lake considered the third most important site in Britain for wintering wildfowl. In addition to the water birds including ducks, shoveler (Anas clypeata), gadwall (Anas strepera) and great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus)^[11] a wide variety of other bird species can be seen. For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. The shovelers, formerly known as shovellers, are four species of Dabbling ducks with long broad spatula-shaped beaks Red Shoveler, The Gadwall, Anas strepera is a common and widespread Duck of the family Anatidae. The Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus is a member of the Grebe family of water birds These range from small birds such as tits (Paridae) and wrens (Troglodytidae) to Mistle Thrush (Turdidae). The tits, chickadees, and titmice comprise Paridae, a large family of small Passerine Birds which occur in the Northern hemisphere The wrens are Passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. The Mistle Thrush ( Turdus viscivorus) is a common member of the thrush family Turdidae Larger birds include Woodpeckers (Picidae) and Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of Near-passerine Birds. The Common Buzzard ( Buteo buteo) is a medium to large Bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia.

The valley also has a wide variety of small mammals with larger species including; Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) and Deer (Cervidae). A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The valley is also home to fifteen of the sixteen bats found in England including a roost, at Compton Martin Ochre Mine, for Greater Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). The Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum is a European Bat of the Rhinolophus genus A rare and endangered species, the greater horseshoe bat is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed in Annex II of the 1992 European Community Habitats Directive. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which aims to protect the Wildlife and Countryside of the The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a European Union directive ^[12]

Human habitation

Archaeological excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake found evidence of people belonging to the consecutive periods known as Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic (Old, Middle and New Stone Age), Bronze Age and Iron Age, comprising implements such as stone knives, flint blades and the head of a mace, along with buildings and graves. The Stanton Drew stone circles are at just outside the village of Stanton Drew, Somerset. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Flint (or flintstone) is a hard sedimentary Cryptocrystalline form of the Mineral Quartz, categorized as a variety of Chert A mace is a simple Weapon that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows ^[13][14] Other evidence of occupation from prehistoric times is provided by the henge monument at Stanton Drew, long barrow at Chewton Mendip, and tumulus at Nempnett Thrubwell. Archaeologists use the term henge monument to describe a site where a Henge is combined with other features such as Stone circles Standing stones The Stanton Drew stone circles are at just outside the village of Stanton Drew, Somerset. A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves Nempnett Thrubwell ( is a small village in dairying country on the western edge of Bath and North East Somerset, in the county of Somerset, England Maes Knoll fort (close to Norton Malreward) in the northern reaches of the valley, on Dundry Down, also formed the starting point for Wansdyke. Maes Knoll (sometimes Maes Tump) is an Iron Age Hillfort located south of the English city of Bristol, near the village of Norton Malreward ( is a small village 4 miles south of Bristol at the northern edge of the Chew Valley. Wansdyke (from Woden 's Dyke) is an early medieval series of defensive linear earthworks in the West Country of England,

There is evidence of Roman remains in particular a villa and burial pits. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Some of the artefacts from the valley were sent to the British Museum. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Other Roman artefacts from the lake are also on display at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large Museum and Art gallery in Bristol, England. ^[14] There are several historic parks and mansion houses, including Stanton Drew, Hunstrete, Stowey House Chew Court, Chew Magna Manor House and Sutton Court. This article is about the village For information on the prehistoric stone circles see Stanton Drew stone circles Stanton Drew ( is a small Hunstrete ( is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley, Bath and North East Somerset, England. Stowey ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. Chew Magna ( is a village within the Chew Valley in North East Somerset, England Chew Magna ( is a village within the Chew Valley in North East Somerset, England Sutton Court, Stowey also known as Stowey Court is a large house built on the site of a fourteenth century castle with sections built in the fifteenth and sixteenth century Almost all of the villages have churches dating back to the fifteenth or sixteenth Century.

The area around Pensford was an important coal mining area during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with much of the coal being carried on the Somerset Coal Canal, although there are no working coal mines today. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. The Somerset Coal Canal (originally known as the Somersetshire Coal Canal) was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800 from basins at Paulton and The line of the now disused North Somerset Railway runs south from Bristol crossing over the River Chew on the surviving distinctive viaduct at Pensford and on to Midsomer Norton. The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. A viaduct is a Bridge composed of several small spans The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Midsomer Norton is a town in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome. The area suffered serious flooding during the storm of 10 July 1968, prompting localised evacuation of populated valley areas in the lower parts of the valley, around Pensford and Keynsham. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. ^[15]

Field patterns

The small fields in the western part of the area are particularly characteristic of the Chew Valley and date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late medieval period. Fields of this category are generally small in size, regular in outline and often the boundaries preserve the outlines of the earlier strip field system. Regional variations in field size and pattern do occur. For example there is evidence of medieval clearance of woodland on the slopes around Nempnett Thrubwell, south of Bishop Sutton and west and south of Chelwood. Nempnett Thrubwell ( is a small village in dairying country on the western edge of Bath and North East Somerset, in the county of Somerset, England Bishop Sutton ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. Chelwood ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in North Somerset about 8 miles from Bristol and Bath. ^[7]

Climate

Along with the rest of South West England, the Chew Valley has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. East Harptree ( is situated 5 miles north of Wells and 15 miles south of Bristol, on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills overlooking the Chew South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50 °F) and shows a seasonal and a diurnal variation, but due to the modifying effect of the sea the range is less than in most other parts of the UK. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Diurnal motion is an astronomical term referring to the apparent daily motion of Stars around the Earth, or more precisely around the two The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 and 2 °C (34–36 °F). July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of England has a favoured location with respect to the Azores high pressure when it extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK, particularly in summer. The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from Convective cloud often forms inland, especially near hills, and acts to reduce sunshine amounts. Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of molecules within Fluids (i The average annual sunshine totals around 1600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric A low pressure area, or " low " is a region where the Atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of rainfall falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. A cloud is a visible mass of droplets or frozen crystals floating in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another Planetary body Average rainfall is around 800–900 millimetres (31–35 in). Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) The predominant wind direction is from the south west. ^[16]

Population and demographics

Many of the large houses in the valley have been built or bought by wealthy merchants from Bristol and Bath with many of the local people working for their households. ^[17] Bess of Hardwick (1527–1606) is known to have lived in Sutton Court, Stowey for a few years in the sixteenth century, after the death of her first husband Sir William Cavendish, when she married Sir William St. Elizabeth Talbot Countess of Shrewsbury ( July 27[[ 527]]&ndash February 13, 1608) known as Bess of Hardwick, was the third surviving daughter Sutton Court, Stowey also known as Stowey Court is a large house built on the site of a fourteenth century castle with sections built in the fifteenth and sixteenth century Stowey ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. Sir William Cavendish (1505 &ndash 25 October, 1557) was an English courtier Loe (or Sentloe or St. Lowe), captain of the guard to Queen Elizabeth, Chief Butler of England, and owner of several manors within the valley and surrounding areas. Around this period a close neighbour was Sir John Popham (1533–1607) who was judge and the Speaker of Parliament. Sir John Popham ( 1531 - June 10 1607)was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1580 to 1583 Attorney General from 1 June In the seventeenth century John Locke (1632–1704) an eminent philosopher lived in Belluton and his house is still known as John Locke's cottage. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Belluton is a village in Somerset, England. It is in the district of Bath and North East Somerset and is located due south of the city of Bristol In the eighteenth century the poet John Langhorne (1735–1779) became the curate at Blagdon around the time that Augustus Montague Toplady (1740–1778) was the priest, and William Smith moved to the valley to make a valuation survey of an estate. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" John Langhorne (March 1735&ndash 1 April 1779) was an English poet and Clergyman, best known for his work on translating Plutarch's From the Latin curatus (compare Curator) a curate is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'' ''of souls'' of a Blagdon is a village and Civil parish in the North Somerset Unitary authority in England. Augustus Montague Toplady ( November 4, 1740 &ndash August 11, 1778) was an Anglican clergyman and hymn-writer William Smith ( March 23 1769 &ndash August 28 1839) was an English Geologist, credited with creating the first nationwide He stayed there for the next eight years, working first for Webb and later for the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company. The Somerset Coal Canal (originally known as the Somersetshire Coal Canal) was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800 from basins at Paulton and

During the nineteenth century aristocrat George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton (1817–1876) was a resident. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations George William Lyttelton 4th Baron Lyttelton ( 31 March 1817 &ndash 19 April 1876) was a British aristocrat and Tory His seat was at Chew Magna, where John Sanger, the circus proprietor, was born in 1816. Chew Magna ( is a village within the Chew Valley in North East Somerset, England John Sanger ( 1816 - 22 August 1889) was an English Circus proprietor William Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times, took the title Baron Rees-Mogg, of Hinton Blewitt, but no longer lives in the village. William Rees-Mogg Baron Rees-Mogg (b July 14 1928, Bristol England) is a journalist and writer in the United Kingdom. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. Hinton Blewett ( is situated 5 miles north of Wells, 15 miles south of Bristol on the Northern slope of the Mendip Hills within the designated Jazz clarinetist Acker Bilk lives in Pensford. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A clarinetist (also spelled clarinettist) is a Musician who plays the Clarinet. Acker Bilk MBE (born 28 January 1929) born Bernard Stanley Bilk (known more familiarly as Mr Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Richard Brock the natural history film producer, Liam Fox a conservative politician and Dr Phil Hammond a GP and comedian also live in the valley. Richard Brock worked in the BBC as a natural history film producer for 35 years Natural history is the Scientific research of Plants or Animals leaning more towards the Observational than Experimental methods Liam Fox (born 22 September 1961) is a British Conservative Politician, currently Shadow Defence Secretary and The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Dr Phil Hammond ( 1 January[[ 962]] is a medical doctor who has become noted as a Comedian and commentator on health issues in the United Kingdom A general practitioner, or GP is a medical practitioner who provides Primary care and specializes in Family medicine. A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead lived in Pensford from 1979–1981. Robert C Hunter (born June 23, 1941) is an American Lyricist, Singer songwriter, and Poet, best known for his association The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England.

In the past many of the population worked in coal mining, although there are no working mines in the area now. There is still a fairly large agricultural workforce and some in light industry or service industries, although many people commute to surrounding cities for work. According to the 2001 Census the valley has a population of approximately 5000, largely living in one of the dozen or so villages and in some isolated farms and hamlets. The average age of the population is 42 years, with unemployment rates of 1–4% of all economically active people aged 16–74, however these figures are approximations because the ward areas covered and described in the census statistics do not relate exactly to the area of the valley. In the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 all of the areas within the valley were considered to be in the most affluent third in England. ^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]}

Buildings and settlements

Many of the villages are at the points where it was possible to cross the rivers and streams. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks Chew Magna is the business centre with a range of shops, banks etc. A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Many other villages have local shops, often combined with post offices. A post office is a facility authorized by a Postal system for the posting receipt sorting handling transmission or delivery of Mail. Most villages have pubs and village halls which provide the majority of the social activity. In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for Villages It functions much as a City hall does within cities

The traditional building material is white Lias Limestone; sometimes incorporating red sandstone or conglomerate, with red clay tiled roofs. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Buildings, particularly the churches, date back many hundreds of years, for example those at Marksbury and Compton Martin; the latter incorporating a columbarium. Marksbury ( is a small village in Somerset about 4 miles from Keynsham and 7 from Bath on the A39 where it meets the A368. Compton Martin ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset and Civil parish in the North Somerset Unitary authority A columbarium (plural columbaria or columbariums) is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary Urns (i

Listed buildings

There are hundreds of listed buildings in the valley. Stowey ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance Listing refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance. The authority for listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and is presently administered by English Heritage, an agency of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws on granting of planning permission English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of The Department for Culture Media and Sport ( DCMS) is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport Grade I covers buildings of exceptional interest, Grade II* particularly important buildings of special interest and Grade II buildings of special interest. Listed buildings in the valley number five churches dating back to the fourteenth century or even earlier, with grade I status; Church of St Andrew at Chew Magna, Church of St. Bartholomew at Ubley, Church of St James at Cameley, Church of St. Ubley ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Bath and North East Somerset about 8 miles south of Bristol and 10 miles from Bath. Cameley is a village and Civil parish within the Chew Valley in Somerset in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area just off the Margaret at Hinton Blewitt and Church of St Michael the Archangel at Compton Martin.

Transport

At the western end of the valley is the A38 and Bristol International Airport, which means parts of the valley are on the flight path. This article is about the village For information on the prehistoric stone circles see Stanton Drew stone circles Stanton Drew ( is a small The A38 is a major Trunk road in England. Though formally known as the Exeter - Leeds Trunk Road it actually runs from Bodmin in Cornwall Bristol International Airport is the commercial Airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area The valley is also crossed by the A37 and they are joined by the A368. The A37 is a major Road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through The A368 is a part Primary status A road in North Somerset, England. Most of the roads in the valley are small single track lanes with little traffic although a bottleneck often occurs within Chew Magna. The "Chew Valley Explorer" bus route 672/674^[27] provides access to many of the villages in the valley. Cyclists can gain access via part of the Padstow to Bristol West Country Way, National Cycle Network Route 3. Padstow (Lannwedhenek is a small town its great Civil parish and cargo port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.

Schools

Chew Valley School^[28] is the main secondary school (11–18 years) for the valley. Chew Valley School is situated within the Chew Valley in Bath and North East Somerset in South West England. Australia See also Education It is situated between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. Chew Stoke is a small village and Civil parish in the Chew Valley, in Somerset, England about south of Bristol. The latest (2005) Ofsted Inspection Report^[29] describes this specialist Performing Arts College as a mixed comprehensive school with 1158 pupils on roll. The school is popular and oversubscribed with 196 students in the sixth form. The school has been successful in gaining a number of national and regional awards. There are state primary schools (4–11 years) in most of the local villages. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education.

Sport and leisure facilities

Many of the local villages have football pitches and children's play areas. Gymnasium facilities, squash courts, badminton etc. , and outdoor all-weather pitches are available at the Chew Valley Leisure Centre between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. There are a range of clubs and societies for young and old, including Scout groups, gardening society, and the Women's institute. There are several areas in the valley which the Countryside Agency has designated as access land; Burledge Hill (south of Bishop Sutton)(grid reference ST589590), Castle Earthworks (between Stowey and Bishop Sutton)(grid reference ST597592), Knowle Hill (Newtown south of Chew Magna)(grid reference ST583613), Round Hill (Folly Farm)(grid reference ST605608) and Shortwood Common (Litton) (grid reference ST595553)

A Bowls club is in Chew Stoke, cricket pitches and teams in Chew Magna^[30] and Blagdon. The Countryside Agency in England was a statutory body set up in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude Stowey ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. Bishop Sutton ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude Bowls (also known as Lawn Bowls or Lawn Bowling) is a precision Sport in which the goal is to roll slightly radially asymmetrical Balls Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries ^[31] There are several football teams in the valley including Chew Valley Football Club^[32] and Bishop Sutton F.C.. Bishop Sutton AFC are a football club based in Bishop Sutton, Somerset, near Bristol, England. The rugby club is based next to the leisure centre. ^[33] The Bishop Sutton Tennis club^[34] is the largest in the valley, there is also a tennis club at East Harptree. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Both Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake provide extensive fishing under permit from Bristol Water. Blagdon Lake lies in the Chew Valley at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, approximately 10 mi (16 km south of Bristol. The River Chew and most of its tributaries also have fishing but this is generally under licences to local angling clubs. The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. Chew Valley Sailing Club^[35] is situated on Chew Valley Lake and provides dinghy sailing at all levels and hosts national and international competitions. There are no swimming pools in the valley, and swimming is not allowed in the lakes, however these are available locally in Bristol, Bath, Cheddar and Midsomer Norton. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or Cheddar is a large Village and Civil parish in the district of Sedgemoor in the English county of Somerset. Midsomer Norton is a town in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome.

Each year the Chew Valley Arts trail takes place in October during which over 50 local artists display their work in 20 or so venues around the valley such as; painting, printmaking, sculpture, decorative glass, pottery, photography, jewellery and sugar craft. Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e Printmaking is the Process of making artworks by Printing, normally on Paper. Glass art and Glass sculpture is the use of Glass as an artistic medium to produce Sculptures or two-dimensional Artworks Specific approaches Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones The valley and lakes have been an inspiration to many artists and there is a small art gallery at Chew Valley Lake. Live music and comedy events take place in many of the local pubs and village halls, with the village of Pensford holding a music festival every year. Pensford ( is a village in the Civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England.

References

Bibliography

• Janes, Rowland (ed) (1987). The Natural History of the Chew Valley. ISBN 978-0-9545125-2-1.  

External links

• BANES Information on the Chew Valley Explorer Bus Service
• Chew Valley Gazette
• Chew Valley web site
• River Chew Web Site
• Chew Valley Beer Festival
• Chew Valley Football Club
• Panorama of valley views
• Chew Valley School
• Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Wayfaring map of Chew Valley pubs and landmarks

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